The oxidation of steel structures frequently causes the bolts and nuts used therein to become bound or rusted together. Should disasembly of the structure be required, then the nut must be separated from its respective bolt. One method of disassembly is to use a cutting torch but this has the effect of destroying the pieces. Another method of separating the two is through the utilization of a penetrating oil to free the rusted parts.
The prior art discloses various penetrating oil formulations which free rust frozen parts. Frequently, however, the oils used in these penetrating oils do not provide proper and sufficient lubricants to maintain the parts free once separated. Prior art penetrating oils tend to be volatile and they are inherently not very lubricating because of low surface tension. Lubricating oils, on the other hand, have sufficient lubricants and high surface tension, as well as relatively high viscosity but low spreading power and therefore make poor penetrating oils.
From the above, it can be seen that a satisfactory penetrating oil requires that a careful balance be achieved between the requirements of the penetrating function and the lubricating function. The volatility and surface tension must be sufficiently low to allow the oil to penetrate and thereby free the rust frozen parts but must also be high enough to keep the oil where it is needed to prevent it from evaporating away and to maintain lubrication between the parts when freed. In other words, it should not run off the affected parts or evaporate but must continue to work on the rust frozen metal surfaces. Additionally, the penetrating oil should have low flammability because ignition sources, such as torches and the like, are frequently in use in the same general vicinity.
The disclosed penetrating oil strikes a proper balance between the competing demands required for the freeing of rust frozen parts and the maintenance of lubrication between the parts when freed. Additionally, the disclosed penetrating oil has low flammability to thereby reduce the risk of fire.